Money, Marriage, and Travel
On our home turf, my husband Rich and I have what I’ll generously call “complementary” spending styles. Which is to say he thinks I’m a profligate spendthrift, and I think he’s a sanctimonious tightwad.
On the road, we tend to polarize even further.
I hail taxis. He thinks walking two miles along the shoulder of a busy thoroughfare is “doable”. I order half-carafes of rosé. He drinks tap water. I shop for souvenirs. He paces outside souvenir shops.
The kids and I are leaving this Friday for a week in England. Rich will join us the following Friday for two weeks in Spain. With the dollar falling to record lows against the euro almost daily, let’s just say he’s not exactly the bluebird of happiness right now.
Anyone else heading for Europe this summer? Here are 6 signs that your husband may be freaking out about exchange rates:
- You catch him rifling through the children’s coin collections.
- He refuses to buy a new pair of shorts for the trip until you force him to relinquish the old pair at gunpoint.
- He suggests that you rent a manual transmission car in England (and shift gears left-handed for one week while also driving on the wrong side of the road) to save $60.
- He looks as though he is passing a kidney stone when he finds out you’ve purchased new luggage for the trip.
- He accurately and compulsively quotes dollar equivalent prices without a calculator.
- He says he’s “not hungry” when you go out to lunch the week before the trip, and then eats an entire box of Tic Tacs in the car on the way home.
At least he’s driving us to the airport.
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Worried about exchange rates yourself? We’ve got lots of family friendly hotels in Asia and Central America that are comparatively easy on the wallet.
June 16th, 2008 | by Jamie Pearson 6 comments
1. soultravelers3 on June 17th, 2008
Funny! Sounds like a great trip though!! We are traveling Europe this summer ( we have been traveling Europe for the last two years as we are on an open ended world tour and started here). We will even be in some of the same places!
We are in Portugal now and have really loved it, heading up to Santiago now and more of Northern Spain, France, UK, Scandinavia, Russia, Germany, more of France and then head back down to southern Spain for our 3rd winter.
Luckily, we are on the same wave length with money and frugal is our middle name. LOL. By going slow, we save a lot of money since the highest costs are in plane fares and housing. We also bought lots of Euros and pounds when the dollar was high, so that helps immensely, but the slow travel and living like a native is key for us.
Europe can still be done very cheaply!
2. Seana on June 17th, 2008
Better save the peanuts from the plane trip for when your hubby arrives. They’ll go great with the discount beer in Spain!
3. texasholly @ June Cleaver Nirvana on November 5th, 2008
This really made me laugh. I hope you will be able to use your new luggage for a few years…
Thanks for linking today!
4. debbie on November 5th, 2008
I am afraid I am exactly like your husband. Disappointed that he ate the whole container of Tic Tacs. That could have made two good meals.
5. Scout's Honor on November 5th, 2008
No gunpoint here for his shoes….I simply burned them. Seriously. Can’t wear shoes that are burned:
http://www.unitedstatesofmotherhood.com/2008/10/burning-ones-husbands-shoes-obsessing.html
Then I bought myself 20 pairs. Seriously. I guess I am the spendy one.
However, on vacation, I am also a tightwad. I never pay full price for hotels or airfare. I’ve stayed at 5 star resorts on $40 a night thanks to Priceline.
But, the rose, yes, that’s me…except make it Cab.
6. jenny gardiner on November 7th, 2008
ha! found this from June Cleaver Nirvana’s blog. And I can’t believe you and I are married to the same man! So he was with you for part of the time while we were in Europe, then? Must’ve been while I was spending profligately LOL
(p.s. mine would be perfectly happy, despite being middled-aged and having a bad back, to stay in a youth hostel. Ugh)
6 Responses to “Money, Marriage, and Travel”